Note To Self I Miss You Terribly
by NekoJinDriger
Summary: The sequal to my other story and were all dead now enjoy people. xxxxxxxxxx Dallas i would awadn to understand this one fully. this one is created on the concept of my chemical romances 2nd album.
1. The Concept

Blood sprayed out from the newly created wounds on the man's stomach. A scarlet-covered, glistening blade came down once again, digging deep into the helpless man's abdomen. He opened his mouth to shriek, but instead of the wailing noise, a sound of death and pain was what was heard. He squirmed ceaselessly, whimpering softly. He refused to die.

Zoe stared down at him, eyes blank and empty as he thrashed around, as if he thought it would help him stay alive. She towered over him, still staring darkly into his chocolate brown eyes. Then, she sat down on his profusely bleeding stomach. He let out a soft groan of pain, too weak to scream anymore.

"I admire your strength," Zoe murmured monotonously. "Even after seven stab wounds, you still move with life. May Hell graciously take you into its fiery pits."

And with those last words, she drove your knife down into his throat. The man's limbs jerked violently and he writhed for a moment until death had finally consumed him whole. Zoe pulled the blade out of its resting place, letting a stream of blood pour out from the new wound. It trickled down the man's neck, onto the already blood-soaked concrete.

Zoe grasped the blade of the knife tightly in her hand and started carving something into the man's forehead, as if she were writing something on a piece of paper. She stood up once her task was done and stared down at her "masterpiece."

The number "997" had been carved deeply into the man's forehead. The wound did not bleed, but instead glowed ominously. After a few seconds, the glowing ceased and the wound started bleeding like it normally should.

Zoe gazed impassively at the corpse for a while longer, as if she were in some sort of trance, before the loud wail of police sirens snapped her back into reality. Zoe leapt off into the ebony darkness beyond the alleyway with abnormal haste and length.

OK OK OK i know this first chapter is quite short but its just so you can get the jist of the story lol anyway yeah this is the first chapter of the sequal to And Were All Dead Now. i hope ya like it and i hope ya like AWADN aswell. i dunno what else to say so enjoy and please R&R xxxxxxxxxxxx Dallas


	2. Why Does She Haunt Him So?

This part will be taking place RIGHT AFTER the final part of AWADN. You know...when Rei sees "Zoe" in the cemetery after viewing your grave? Whatever. Go read it if you don't remember. Just thought I'd let you all know so you're not confused or anything.

Rei stared emptily up at the ceiling. Ever since seeing what he saw the day before in the cemetery, he had been thinking deeply. He couldn't walk around a corner anymore without seeing Zoes face or being plauged by painful memories.

'_All of this has made me realize how much I still miss her..._'

Rei sighed heavily and got out of the soft hotel bed he had been resting in. He moved swiftly across the large room, only stopping when he was in front of the door. Rei was weary about opening it and going outside. He was afraid he'd see Zoe again.

Pushing aside the ridiculous thoughts, he opened the door...

And jumped back, letting out a frightened wail. He tripped over the rug behind him and fell flat on his back.

"Ah, shit! Sorry!"

He opened his eyes to see Kai standing over him, looking both amused and worried at the same time.

"What the hell is with you?!" Rei asked in a screaming tone.

"Oh, come on now. I didn't scare you that badly...I didn't even mean to scare you period." Kai laughed, helping his brother up. "I was about to knock when you threw the door open and had a heart attack, anyways."

"Whatever..." Rei sighed, rubbing his head. "What did you need?"

"Oh, I just needed to inform you that Brian called and said that The Demolition Boys had to pull out of the upcoming tournament for personal reasons. So, our two week break now has four more days on it. Just thought I'd let you know," he explained.

"Okay...that's great...I guess." Rei mumbled, heading out the door, into the hallway.

Kai followed close behind, a bewildered look on his face.

"Are you okay...? You're not acting like you usually do," he asked softly.

"I'm fine. Perfectly fine." Rei answered, his tone somewhat cold. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a walk."

Rei darted down the stairs, not even bothering to wait for the elevator, leaving Kai standing with worry on his face.

Rei walked slowly down the busy sidewalks, thankful that the people around him were too busy to recognize who he was. He walked blindly, thoughtlessly, until something caught his attention.

A hoard of people were crowded around the side of a T.V. shop that was just ahead. Through the glass, a big screen T.V. was on display, turned to the News channel. The people in the crowd were talking to one another in hushed tones. Rei casually slipped into the group to see what all the chatter was about. He gazed up at the T.V.

"We're now going live to Kerry Smith, who is with officer Kennedy at the crime scene..." the news anchor announced.

The image of a dark alleyway came onto the screen, a balding man, looking to be in his mid-40s and dressed in police uniform, standing beside a female reporter in front of the camera.

"Late last night the police received a phone call from a woman, reporting screams and wails from an alleyway near her apartment. Police were dispatched to investigate...and ended up finding the mutilated body of Eric Sauder in this very alleyway, with the haunting number 997 carved into his forehead. It is believed that he is the 997th victim of the mass murderer that has been plauging Moscow,Russia for the past 8 months. I'm here with officer Kennedy. Officer, what is your view of this dumbfounding string of murders?" the reporter asked, holding her microphone out to the officer.

"There really aren't any words to describe my view on this situation. It's...uh...it's just so astonishing. This psycho is _still_ out there, walking amongst us. Honestly, it's like there's nothing we can do to stop him...or her...whatever the hell it is! We've set up curfews, we've sent units out to patrol the streets at night, and yet this murderer is still weaving their way through and getting to another victim," he explained, sounding exasperated. "The curfew just isn't working, either. Many people believe that they can go out and catch the killer themselves. They're only adding to this enormous body count."

"Is there any evidence at all that may lead to this serial killer? Any abnormal patterns that might give the police a hint?" the reporter asked.

The cop stalled for a moment, before answering softly, "No. We have no evidence at all. The killing patterns are very abnormal, but they give us no clue to who this murderer may be."

"And what are these killing patterns?"

The officer replied, his voice still soft, "Well, the victims always have 'their number' carved into their foreheads...and every single victim has had a criminal record. This case is unlike any that we've seen before. It's like the murderer won't stop until they reach 1000."

Rei shut out everything else that was said, completely shocked. The final words that the officer spoke brought one thing to his mind.

'_The story of a man, a woman, and the corpses of a thousand evil men..._'

Zoe walked around the graveyard, staring at the many tombstones, like she usually did. Raven was perched on her shoulder, cawing every now and then to break the pressing silence. Zoe stopped beside a freshly dug, empty grave that was just waiting to receive its occupant. She was about to walk over to the tombstone to see whose grave it would soon be, when a man pulled himself out of the grave. He was covered in dirt and had a shovel in his hand.

"Whose grave is this, Skel?" Zoe asked monotonously.

"Well," the grave kepper started, "After watching the News this morning and seeing your recent victim, I just thought I'd prepare his grave. You know, so I won't have to do it later."

Zoe stared at the scraggly old man in silence for a moment. He resembled that of a skeleton...gaunt in the face, skin so taut that it took the shape of his very bones. His eyes were hollow, black, and sunk into the sockets, and he was paler than the dead. He didn't have much hair; only a couple of scraggly grey strands. And, ironically, not only did he look like a skeleton, but his name was actually Skeleton. Zoe simply called him Skel for short.

"You know, for Satan's henchman, you have a wonderful senses of humor." Zoe muttered sarcastically.

"Thank you. For being dead, you sure are a bitch." Skel grinned, showing that he was missing most of his teeth. "But seriously, this grave will belong to a Miss Holly Farren in about three days."

"Okay...whatever," Zoe said in her same dull, empty tone. "If you need me, I'll be in the mausoleum. If you don't need me...then don't bother me. In fact, if you do need me...still don't bother me."

Without another word Zoe headed off towards the glimmering, black marble mausoleum where she had been living for the 8 months she had been back. More things than Zoe could handle had happened in those 8 months. Satan gave her the task of bringing him the souls of 1000 evil men in exchange for her life and reunion with Rei, sent her back to the realm of the living without any emotions whatsoever, and had just recently sent Skel, his number one "helper", to watch after her. Zoe had almost been caught by the police several times before, which was why Satan sent Skel to her.

Zoe went into the mausoleum. It was damp, cold, and very dark. Just perfect for her, in her state, plus she could see in the dark as she still possesed her cat qualities. Zoe sighed and sat down on the cold, hard floor.

"When will this nightmare be over...?"

(THIS NEXT PART WILL CONTAIN GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK AND DONT MOAN AT ME I WARNED YOU GUYS!!)

"Eric...you either cough up the money...or I'll fill your head with bullets."

Eric trembled at the other man's words, backed up against the back of a building, a revolver pressed firmly against his head.

"J-just give me a little more time, Kevin...I'll get it to you, I fucking swear!" he shouted pleadingly.

Kevin grinned and lowered the gun, turning his back to Eric, who still shook violently with fear.

"Okay...okay. You have a little more time to get the money to me. I'll be merciful," he said slowly.

Eric's grim expression brightened.

"Honestly? Seriously?!"

"...No. I was just fucking with you."

Kevin turned around again, and before Eric could even gasp, fired his revolver three times. Eric hit the ground in seconds, ice cold with death. Kevin chuckled and tucked his weapon away into his coat pocket. He gazed down at the recently deceased man that lay at his feet.

"Such amateur work..."

Kevin spun around, his gun drawn out once again. Zoe stood a few feet away, staring at Eric. Little was left of his head, for most had been blown off by the gunshots.

"Who the fuck are you?" Kevin asked, startled.

"So much evidence left behind...you'd be caught quicker than you could blink." Zoe muttered, taking a few small, menacing steps forward.

"Stay back, you psycho whore!" Kevin commanded, gun aimed at her now.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones...but, hell...I'm already dead, so it doesn't really matter," Zoe said in a scathingly humorous tone. "Tell you what...I'm going to do you a favor. I'm going to kill you so that you won't get caught and get sent to jail...where you'd more than likely get man raped and beat up."

Zoe discreetly drew out her knife from her coat pocket. Kevin growled, refusing to give up without a fight.

"You won't even get a chance to touch me!" he yelled, firing his gun at Zoe twice.

Zoe weren't even temporarily stunned as the bullets tore their way through her abdomen. Zoe kept trudging forward, her pace getting faster and faster.

Kevin gasped, shocked.

"She didn't even flinch..." he murmured to himself, backing up as she advanced on him.

He turned around to run off, only to come face-to-face with Zoe.

"Boo, fucker."

He screamed loudly and stumbled backwards, landing on his back on the cold ground. Zoe pounced on top of him and grabbed his gun before he could make a move. Zoe stared at him with lifeless eyes as he struggled to get out from underneath her.

"Pathetic..." Zoe sighed.

"Please...don't kill me!" Kevin pleaded, sobbing.

"Funny..._your_ victim was just pleading with you for his life a couple of minutes ago. I guess what they say is true...what goes around comes around...and it bites you right in the ass." Zoe said emotionlessly, holding her knife close to Kevin's eyes so that he could see the shiny blade.

"Oh God..." he groaned, shaking as badly as Eric had only moments earlier.

Without a second thought or word, Zoe started slashing away at Kevin's face, neck, and chest. He choked out in horrific pain, clawing at the concrete ground. Blood coursed from each wound that was inflicted on his body, forming a pool on the ground. Zoe herself were coated with the scarlet liquid, yet she kept on tearing at the now helpless man, until his savage thrashing died down to weak spasms and writhes.

Zoe quickly carved 998 into his forehead and jumped to her feet. The sight of what was left of Kevin was sickening enough to make her turn away. His face was no more; beyond any recognition. His neck had one large wound on it-- a large hole that was still churning blood out from it. It was a disturbing and disgusting sight, indeed.

Zoe put her blade safely back in its place, took one last look at Kevin to see the fading glow of the numbers she had carved into his forehead, and then took off into the shadows where no one could see her.

**Rei's P.O.V**

I lay silently in my bed in my darkened hotel room, thinking deeper than I had in a while. Over the past nine years...I had simply brushed the thought of _her_ away...I simply pushed it into the darkest depths of my mind. But now, somehow, it had forced its way to the very front. Seeing that girl at the cemetery the other day really got to me. I _knew_ it couldn't be her...she's dead, after all; six feet under in a grave I refuse to look at anymore. Yet, something in my mind stil thinks that it really was her.

...I really don't know what to think anymore.

And then...then there's the string of mass murders that oddly remind me of the concept of My Chemical Romances album, mine and Zoes favourite album. What the hell is going on here? I've never been this confused before.

I sighed and shut my eyes, vainly trying to clear my mind. But no...the image of her face still haunted the darkness behind my closed eyes. I was about ready to snap...why wouldn't she just leave me alone? Why couldn't her fictitious ghost just go away...?

I was finally snapped away from my thoughts when I heard the room door open and close. Then there was the sound of soft footsteps coming closer and closer...until the stopped suddenly. Assuming it was just one of the guys trying to scare me, I ignored the new presence. After a while, whoever it was still hadn't left. I sighed in aggravation; I just wanted to be alone! I opened my eyes and sat up, mouth open to speak, but the words were caught in my throat at what I saw standing at the foot of the bed.

Zoe...it was her. She stood there, motionless, her eyes as ashen as her face. But despite her deadly pallor...she was exactly how I remembered her being. My eyes were wide and I felt tears forming. It hurt me terribly to see what I had lost. She wasn't real...she couldn't be.

I closed my eyes tightly once again.

"You're not real...go away. You're not fucking real!" I chanted to myself, hoping that when I reopened my eyes, the false image would be gone.

But when I reopened them, I saw that she was on the bed, sitting crossed-legged, staring at me with her empty, dead eyes.

"Go away...go away..." I pleaded, eyes closed yet again.

I chanted this over and over again to myself for quite some time, until I finally allowed my eyes to open once again. I sighed in relief, for she was no longer there. I felt better...but just for a moment. I suddenly felt someone's breath on the back of my neck. I looked behind me quickly, seeing nothing but the headboard to the bed. Perhpas I was just a bit too paranoid...

I turned back around in the bed...just to be staring into a pair of lifeless, ashen eyes. Startled, I let out a little yelp and scooted back against the headboard, terrified. Those eyes...they were chilling. Staring at Zoe now was like staring at death. Fear rose in my veins as a very scary, hollow smile spread across her lips.

"Why are you haunting me like this...?!" I asked hopelessly.

Zoe leaned in closer to me, still smiling. After a moment of still silence, she leaned in more.

Then, she whispered something mutely into my ear. Her lips moved and formed words...yet I heard nothing. Then, suddenly, without warning, she kissed me on the lips. A feeling I missed so much...yet the taste of death and pain lingered on her lips and in her mouth. When she pulled away from me, I saw that her appearance had changed. She was completely covered in blood...

"Rei...wake up."

"Huh..?"

My eyes opened groggily. Tyson was standing beside my bed, shaking me. I sat straight up and looked around...

But Zoe was nowhere. Gone without a trace...which meant that it was all just a dream.

"Tyson...? What do you want?" I asked, focusing my attention on my friend.

"Well, Kai ordered me to come wake you up. Said something about all of us going out to have a good time...whatever. You were sobbing like a baby when I came in here and muttering things in your sleep. I was pretty worried...that must've been one bad nightmare you were having," he explained.

I reached up to my face and wiped away fresh tears, sighing.

"Yeah. It was bad. Uh...I'll meet you guys down in the lobby. I need to get ready." I replied.

"Okay then." Tyson said, turning around quickly and heading out the door, shutting it behind him.

I sighed once again and got out of bed. Now I _really_ knew I wasn't going to be able to get her image out of my head...


	3. Caught Out?

"There are only two more to go, kid." Skel said to Zoe, sitting on top of a tombstone.

The whole cemetery was empty. No one had come in so far. She were doing what she always did; walking around the cemetery.

"I know. But those two are going to be rather difficult to get. According to the news, drastic measures are being taken to prevent any further killings. Cops will be placed all around the city and anyone caught outside after midnight will be taken to the police station for questioning. It's about fucking time. Only in death have I realized how stupid the people around me are." Zoe muttered.

"Well..." Skel began, though he stopped abruptly and looked around. "Someone's coming. I'd hide if I were you. We can't take the risk of it being someone who knows you."

Zoe turned and crept into the shadows under a tree. The shadows were very, and oddly, dark enough to hide her from view. Zoe stood, perfectly silent, as two people entered the cemetery. As they drew closer and closer, She began to recognize them.

"I hate being here..."

"We're just here to put flowers on grandma's grave, and then we can leave, okay?"

"Fine...okay."

Zoe pressed Herself against the tree trunk as much as she could, as the two people were finally identified.

Kai and Rei stood a couple of feet away from where Zoe hid, in front of a tombstone. Kai knelt down and placed some roses on the grave. The two just stood there, staring at the grave for a long time.

"Okay...let's go." Kai sighed.

The two turned and Zoe let out a sigh of relief. But, something caught Rei's eye. He was staring right at Zoe...

"Uh...Kai. I'll catch up with you. I need to go see something real quick," he said.

Kai nodded in understanding and walked off. Rei still stared at Zoe, making Her hold Her breath in anticipation. Then...he started walking towards her.

'_Oh shit. If he saw me...I'm screwed. So very, very screwed..._' Zoe thought in despair.

Rei came closer and closer...and then he stopped a couple of feet away from her. He was now staring at the ground. Confused, Zoe looked at what he gazed upon...seeing that it was He_r_ grave.

Zoe were relieved that he hadn't seen her. She quietly watched him, waiting for his next move.

"I can't take this torture. I won't let you haunt me anymore. I'm letting go of all my memories...so that I can live in peace. Goodbye Zoe...I won't be coming back here anytime soon."

He knelt down and traced the markings on the tombstone with his fingers, then stood up. And, without taking another glance at her final resting place, left the cemetery quickly.

Zoe stepped out of the shadows and stared after him as he left. Zoe felt emptier than she ever had before. She headed back over to Skel, who looked at her mournfully.

"Even one without emotions must feel _something_ after seeing someone they love so dearly," he said softly.

"...What is the point of this? Killing so many...just to reunite with someone who will never love me again the way he once did." Zoe asked hollowly.

"Now, Zoe...he didn't--"

"He said goodbye. Even if I succeeded in my task, he'd never want to be with me again! Yes...even one without emotions can feel something after being tossed away by the one they love so dearly...they most certainly can!" Zoe screamed, tears falling from Her eyes.

...But they weren't tears. No, they were blood drops. Zoe touched her cheek and looked at the scarlet color that stained her fingers afterwards.

"So this is what you cry if you're absolutely empty inside...?" Zoe murmured to herself, seeming to be mesmerized by the blood.

"Please stop this, Zoe! You cannot let this get the best of you. It will all turn out okay in the end!" Skel tried to soothe her, only fueling the flame that raged in her mind.

"Fuck you, demon! Tell Satan that the fucking deal is over!"

And with that, she darted off into the distance. Skel had no time to stop Zoe at all.

**Reis P.O.V.**

Forgetting her hurt worse than remembering her.

Kai and I went to the diner nearby after leaving the cemetery. We walked inside to find Kenny,Max and Tyson all sitting in the back. We walked over to them and took a seat at the table. Kai began talking to them, but everything was mute to me. I couldn't believe that I had been so...careless. I was shunning the ghost of someone I loved so very much...

...Or did I even love her anymore?

It was like all the torture I was being put through from her haunting memory was making me despise her. No...no. I don't despise her. At all.

...And yet I still said goodbye to her...perhaps I should just forget about this all and _try_ to enjoy life.

Yeah...like that was going to happen.

"Don't you agree with me, Rei?"

"...Huh?" I snapped back to reality, finding that Max was talking to me. "What?"

"I wanted to know if you agreed with me about--"

"Are you gentlemen ready to order?"

A female's voice interrupted Max. I looked up at the waitress standing at the side of our table. Something about her face was familiar...

Her eyes connected with mine and a look of shock spread across her face.

"Holy shit. Rei fucking Kon..." she muttered.

I sighed softly. I was hoping that this wasn't going to be another fan who'd overreact and freak out...

"Long time no see," the waitress laughed.

And, upon seeing the confused expression on my face, she smiled.

"Emily. You probably don't even remember me..."

"Emily...? Shit. No kidding? It's been a while!" I gasped, shocked to see how much she had changed in nine years.

She laughed again, and I could hear Tyson mutter "Aww, fucking wonderful..." sarcastically under his breath.

"I love your music. Truly great stuff. So...have you and Zoe kept in touch over the years?"

Her words stabbed me hard. I looked down at the table, not replying.

"Eh...Emily, Zoe...died...nine years ago." Kai explained quietly, as if he hoped I wouldn't hear his words.

But, I did. I put on the weakest, yet also the fakest smile I could, though.

"Oh...oh...I'm so sorry to hear that." Emily murmured. "I'm so, so sorry...I didn't know..."

"It's...alright. Don't worry. She's in a better place now. It's good to see you again." I said, trying to change the subject.

"Same. Well, can I take your orders now?"

Everyone nodded and gave Emily their food orders, expect for me. I wasn't hungry. For the next hour, I sat their in a total daze as the others talked and ate and laughed. Finally, after what felt like forever, the five of us got up to leave. After paying for the meal, we headed for the door.

"Bye, you guys. It was great seeing you again." Emily said to us as we left.

But, I stopped at the door and turned to face her.

"Uh...Emily. If you have the time later...would you like to go somewhere to talk and catch up...?" I asked, still in my daze.

Emily smiled and nodded her head.

"I'd love that. Tomorrow, here, at noon?"

"Sounds good."

And then I left, not even realized what I had said or done.

He watched quietly from the corner of the diner as Rei talked to Emily. His envious, intense eyes never moved from him until he left.

"Nine years...after nine fucking years...I will have my revenge. I _will_ finish what I started..."

**NORMAL P.O.V**

Zoe had no idea where she were. Countless minutes of running blindly had landed her on the dark, barren side of town. The area was so dead-like, and the shadowy darkness only grew as the sun lowered in the cloudy sky. Night was drawing near, but she really didn't even notice. Her anger was overpowering her thoughts, and all she wanted to do was bash someone's face in to vent her anger. But, seeing as there was absolutely no one around, the anger only built up on itself...growing and growing until Zoe clenched her fist so hard her fingernails sank into the palm of her hand and blood started to drip down her arm.

The anger was then unbearable. Zoe had to release it in _some_ way. She stopped storming down the empty sidewalk she were on, turned, and smashed her fist into the building beside her. But she didn't stop. She wildly lashed out at the building, leaving cracks in the areas where she hit. With another swift punch at the brick building, she knocked a brick loose from its place and it fell to the ground. Her savage, vain attacks on the inanimate object went on for a while longer, until her fists ached with pain beyond any other she had ever felt. Exhausted, she stumbled into the alleyway path to the side of the vacant structure shehad attacked only moments earlier, and collapsed with her back against a trash can. Zoe stared down at her fists. They were terribly mangled; the skin on them torn and blood pouring from the wounds. The blood soaked her hands and her arms.

Zoe began to believe that the pain caused by her anger-fueled outburst just wasn't worth it. Zoe groaned and rested her head back against the trash can, eyes closed tightly. Two lines of smeared and crusting bloody tears were still under either of her eyes. Zoe were basically drenched in blood. As she sat there, pain stabbing at her every nerve and blood still draining from her knuckle wounds, Zoe began to think and regret telling Skel what she had told him.

"I don't want the deal to be off...I can't just give up so easily...but I have. And it was all because _he_ wanted this to end. He wanted me to...stop haunting him...and so I shall," Zoe mumbled to yourself.

Everything Zoe had worked for crumbled right before her eyes the moment Rei said goodbye to her empty grave. Every soul she had reaped...every drop of blood she made fall from another's body...it was all in vain...it was all pointless. Her deal was going to be cut off and she'd end up right back where it all began; right back in the place she should have stayed in the first place.

"Open your eyes, servant."

Zoes eyes snapped open and she were on her feet in a heartbeat, poised for attack. But Zoe stared before her to find a cloaked figure standing there. The person's face couldn't be seen and an odd black glow illuminated from the cloak.

Zoe eyed this person with an inquisitive look across her face. They weren't familiar...but somehow she knew the person was someone important and was definitely not human.

"Who are you?" Zoe asked in a dead, cold tone.

"My name is not important...nor is anything else about me. Why I'm here is about _you_. Besides, I believe after I've spoken, you'll know who I am," the _thing_ said, having a deep, obvious male voice. "But, back to business. Skel reported to me your outburst and wish to cut the deal off...I'm afraid that cannot be arranged. You see, in giving you back life in exchange for fresh, damned souls, you signed your own undead soul off to me. You will remain on Earth as a walking, decaying corpse until your task is fulfilled. You will experience human pain and human emotions once again...except it will all feel worse than what a mere mortal would feel."

He paused abruptly, his empty, nonexistent face terrifying Zoe.

"...Harvest me souls, my servant. I don't care what kind of souls they are anymore...just get them to me. You might be rather surprised by the end results..." his voice got softer and his image disappeared in a black whirl. "Good luck. And, Zoe...don't fuck this up."

Zoe stared into the vacant space he had once stood, his words echoing in her mind. The words began to sound like a ritualistic chant to her...and a torn, twisted smile spread across her lips. She didn't even notice the new presence that had just suddenly popped out of nowhere.

"You! You're out past curfew. You're going down to the station for questioning."

Zoe snapped out of her hazy trance and looked at the police officer that was lurking toward her. Hours had passed since she entered the alleyway, but it had only felt like minutes.

"Holy...what happened to you?" he asked, shocked upon seeing the blood that drenched Zoe.

Zoe simply gave him a hollow smile.

"Okay...you're definitely going down to the station," he mumbled.

As he started to come closer, Zoe stood. The cop jumped slightly, hand on his gun holster.

"No need to be so...jumpy..." Zoe said in an eerie tone. "I will come to the station willingly..."

The officer was hesitant, but he removed his hand from the holster and started to walk back to his car, keeping a close eye on her as she followed. He told her to get into the backseat, and she obeyed calmly. The rather short drive to the police station was a quiet one...and Zoe never once let her dead smile falter.

After arriving at the police station, the officer ordered Zoe to get of out the car. Zoe, once again, did as told. Zoe got out and looked across the street to see a woman walking down the sidewalk. She stopped though, upon spotting Zoe, and stared for a moment. Then, she took off running in the other direction. Zoe shrugged it off and were escorted into the building by the officer. The room she entered upon walking in was completely empty, save for a cop behind a desk.

"Okay...first, can I know your name?"

"Zoe Jin..." she answered with a devious grin.

"Okay then. Sit right there and wait a moment. I will be right back...don't try to leave, the officer at the main desk right there will be monitoring you," he said to her sternly.

Zoe sat down in a chair by the door, being as obedient as she could. He went over to the main desk, which was a couple of feet away from where she sat, and whispered something to the officer behind it while pointing at her. Then he went through a door by the desk, leaving the other officer to watch after her.

"Hey, Jerry? Mind looking up a person for me?" the officer asked, upon entering the other room.

Jerry, who sat at a computer desk in the back of the crowded room, nodded his head.

"Sure thing. What's the name?" Jerry asked.

"Zoe Jin."

Jerry typed the name into the computer, clicked something and scanned over the computer screen. His face then held a confused, bewildered expression.

"What is it?" the officer asked, noticing Jerry's expression.

"There couldn't possibly be an Zoe Jin out there," he replied.

"Why?"

"Because Zoe Jin was murdered 9 years ago. Her case was never solved...uh...the police worked on it for five years before giving up when no suspect could be linked to the killing." Jerry stated. "You've got yourself someone posing as her out there."

"Let me see that!" the officer demanded, coming around the desk to look at the computer screen. "No...that can't be..."

The officer gazed at the profile and the picture that was on it.

"That girl out there looks exactly like the girl in that picture..."

The mesmerized conversation came to a stop when a loud, shrill cry echoed through the building. There was a loud commotion; the sound of things crashing to the ground and objects breaking. And then...all was silent.

"Oh shit!" the officer gasped, taking his gun out of its holster and hurrying across the room and through the door.

He found the main room a complete mess. Papers tossed across the ground, smeared in blood, things lying broken across the room, and the most disturbing sight of all.

In the center of all the mess lay the mangled body of the officer who had been sitting behind the main desk...with the number 999 carved into his forehead...and Zoe were nowhere to be found.

She ran down the dark sidewalks, covered in blood. She couldn't believe that her nightmare was close to being over. One soul was sitting between Zoe and freedom...and she were ready to find that last soul. Zoe searched vainly, hoping to find just one person who would be stupid enough to be outside at such a late time, but no one was around. Zoe were getting frustrated...she just wanted to end the nightmare already...the nightmare that started so many years ago on one forsaken, dead night. That one nightmare that lead to Zoe dieing for love...that one nightmare that brought her back to find that love once again. Zoe were about ready to give up and just start destroying all objects in her sight...when sheran into something and landed on her back on the ground. Zoe growled and glared up at the shadow looming over her...the oh-so familiar shadow of death...Zoes death, to be more exact.


	4. Her Quest Is Complete, But Far From Over

**Rei's P.O.V.**

I was driving quickly down the street. Only a couple of minutes earlier, Emily had called me at my hotel room, sounding very frantic and hysterical. She was talking so quickly that all I managed to get out of all her words were, "Something on the TV...come quick!"

I didn't know how she knew where I was staying, I didn't know what she was freaking out about, and I didn't know why I was driving to her house to find out. I was driving down the most discreet roads, seeing as it was way past curfew, and I didn't feel like getting taken down to the police station tonight. And, all the time while I was driving, this feeling gnawed at me, telling me that the right, and smart thing to do would be to go back to my hotel room and go to sleep. But, no...here I am...driving across town to go to Emily's house at 3 in the fucking morning. I finally arrived at her small house and got out of my car tiredly. While walking to wards the front door, I started to recognize the neighborhood...

It was the neighborhood where me and Mikey use to live...and where Zoe and her parents lived before their house burned down...

A chill went down my spine upon realizing this. I sighed softly as I got to the door. I was about to knock, when the door flew open. Emily looked distraught and she was breathing heavily.

"Eh...?" was all I managed to get out before she pulled me inside and shut the door.

"Zoe...TV...murders!" Emily cried.

"Whoa, slow down! I don't understand a word you're saying. Just...calm down and tell me what's going on." I sighed.

Emily shook her head and frowned. She grabbed my arm and dragged me into her living room, when she pointed to her TV. I looked...and felt every vein in my body freeze with terror.

"...while all details of the event are still not being released, police official Mike Hanburt, a witness to the event, had this to say..." the news anchor said.

The screen flashed over to a police officer, who looked like he had just seen a ghost.

"She...she was just so calm...that it was eerie. I asked her for her name, and she gave it politely. It was scary, in a weird way. I left her under the supervision of another officer while I went into another room to run her name through the computer. We ran it...and what we came up with was...it wasn't possible. The suspect had said her name was Zoe Jin...but our computer showed that Zoe Jin was murdered nine years ago. At first we thought it was someone posing as her, but the profile picture on the computer was an exact match of the girl we took into custody..."

My eyes were wide...my heart stopped beating. This was all _way_ too much for me to handle. And what was said and shown next didn't help me at all.

"I heard screams, afterward. I ran back into the main room to find the other officer dead...with 999 carved into his forehead. We are now certain that this girl is the mass murderer. We even caught the whole killing on our security camera!"

"While we can't show that tape, we can show a picture of the suspect that was caught on the security camera," the news anchor said after the screen flashed back to him.

A fuzzy black and white photo appeared on the screen...and I completely lost it. It was Zoe alright.

"Where's your bathroom?" I asked softly.

Emily, never removing her eyes from the TV screen, pointed to a door on the other side of the room. I darted for the door, flung it open, and collapsed by the toilet. There, I threw up everything I had eaten during the day. The anxiety overwhelmed me. Once I stopped, my throat was sore and I was crying. I flushed the toilet and leaned back against the bathtub, still sitting on the cold, tiled floor. Emily came in, eyes wide. She knelt down in front of me.

"Are you okay...?" she asked in her softest voice.

"No. I'm not. I fucking told her to stop haunting me...WHY WON'T SHE STOP HAUNTING ME?!" I shouted, thus making my throat hurt even worse than it already did.

Emily didn't speak as I cried hysterically. I was never at peace. I couldn't even smile a real smile anymore...because, it seemed that the only time I could _ever_ smile truly was when Zoe was with me. And I was deprived of Her...I was deprived of my smile...I was deprived of my fucking soul! But I couldn't understand...why was it that I was okay for nine years...? Why...?

...Was it because I stayed away from the town where her ghost resided? Yes. That was exactly why.

"Rei...it's okay...please don't cry." Emily whispered.

I shook my head and disobeyed her by crying even more. My emotions fled away in my tears. Emily closed her eyes and then suddenly pulled me into a tight hug. It was good to have someone to cry with again...and it helped a lot. I had just stopped crying when a rage-filled voice rang out. It cracked and shattered the silence and tore through every single memory in my twisted mind.

"Get your fucking hands off of him!"

**Normal P.O.V. (A couple of minutes earlier)**

Zoe stared up into the eyes of evil. His eyes...they were so empty...emptier than hers. His features were full of hate, but he still looked like the Lee who had murdered her nine years earlier.

Zoe scooted back slowly and stood up. Yes, he was exactly the same. Lee stared at her, expressionless. Surely he would recognize her...

"So it's true..." he muttered in his drunken voice. "...my dreams were all true. You _are_ back from the dead. You're back...to kill me, huh?"

Lee grinned and took a staggering step forward. Zoe didn't move as he came near.

"Well, you undead bitch, I refuse to be killed by the girl _I_ killed."

Without warning, Lee lunged at Zoe with a knife drawn. It took her off guard, so she weren't able to dodge him in time. He knocked Zoe to the ground and drove the knife's blade through her shoulder. Zoe shut her eyes tightly and shrieked in pain as Lee pulled the knife out and then stabbed her shoulder again...and again...and again. Zoe were coming close to crying until the savage stabbings ceased. Zoe reopened her watery eyes and looked him right in his dead eyes. He stood, pulling Zoe up with him by her wounded arm. Zoe let out another cry of agony.

"Screaming won't stop the pain!" he laughed.

Lee started to drag Zoe along, toward an abandoned building a couple of feet away from where she once stood. Zoe struggled violently for a moment, before remembering _her_ knife in her coat pocket. Zoe quickly dove her hand into her pocket, pulled out the knife, and stabbed it into Lee's back.

He stopped walking abruptly. His grip grew even tighter on Zoe's arm and he turned around. His face held no expression of pain; only an eerie smile rest upon his lips.

"Oh...wait...was I suppose to scream and then crumble to the ground dead?" he asked, sounding amused. "Well, that won't be happening. You see, nine years of gruesome self-inflicted wounds has made me numb inside...I barely even felt that knife."

As he spoke, he reached behind his back and pulled the knife out, gazing at it momentarily before tossing it aside. Then, something on her arm seemed to catch Lee's eye. The sleeve of her coat had somehow rolled up her arm a bit during all the commotion, revealing half of her scar. Lee pulled the rest of the sleeve up to see all of the scar. His eyes narrowed angrily upon seeing the name "Rei" etched into her arm.

"Rei..." he growled.

Then, he spun back around, jerking her arm forward as he did. She cried out yet again, and her tears began to fall...but, yet again, she found them to be blood as she saw the droplets hit the concrete below. Lee finally got up to the door of the abandoned structure, and, finding the door was locked, kicked it open. He threw Zoe inside as if she were nothing more than a heap of garbage, slamming the door shut again behind him. Zoe painfully groaned, starting to stand. But, before Zoe could make it up, Lee grabbed her stabbed arm yet again and pinned her up against the dusty wall with his knife to her throat.

"I brought you in here so no one could see me murder you," he explained to Zoe calmly. "But, you'll still scream...won't you? So I guess I'll just have to cut your tongue out so no one can hear you."

Breathing heavily and scared to death, Zoe narrowed her eyes and spat right in Lee's face.

He sighed and spun Zoe around, so that her face was pressed against the the wall. Lee leaned close to her and whispered into her ear, "Fight and rebel all you want, Zoe. You'll still die tonight."

Zoe bit her bottom lip hard as she felt the cold, sharp blade skim lightly over the skin on the back of her neck. In fact, she bit her lip so hard that blood started to drop from it. Her eyes scanned the area to the left of her, searching for something to attack with. They fell upon small, tall end table right beside her with the sharp, jagged remains of what looked like a vase of some sorts. Without so much as a second thought, she reached over and grabbed the biggest shard she could, and without turning around, jabbed through one of Lee's eyes.

He screamed loudly and let go of Zoe, dropping his knife as he stumbled back. She turned around just in time to see him collapse onto his back, clawing at the shard in his eye. Zoe casually picked up the knife he had dropped and walked over to him, stopping at his wildly kicking feet.

Lee finally managed to rip the sharp piece of glass from his eye, blood spurting from the wound. He cried in an agony that couldn't be described, staring up at Zoe with his only good eye.

"The tables have turned. Now, perhaps _I_ should be the one to cut out _your_ tongue so that no one can hear your cries of death." Zoe laughed sadistically.

She bent down, wincing from the pain in her shoulder, and lifted Lee up by the collar of his blood-soaked shirt.

"Now, say "Ahh". Please...don't make me do this the hard way." Zoe grinned.

All Lee did was cry hysterically. Zoe sighed and tossed him against the wall. Before he could even recover from the sudden action, Zoe had kneed him hard in the stomach, so hard that he spat out blood.

"It's nothing personal, Lee...it's just that...you know, you tried killing my fiance and ended up killing me. You didn't think you'd live after doing so, did you?"

Then, with one fierce, hard slash, Zoe made a deep cut all the way across Lee's neck. He sunk down to the floor, Zoe kneeling down as he did so. He thrashed about violently for a moment, blood literally pouring from the slash and forming a huge, crimson pool on the creaky wooden floor. But, after that moment had faded, his final movements of life had ended and his starless eyes were blank and dull...dead...just like everything else in the room. Zoe weren't through, though.

Staring at his ashen face made anger and hate well up inside of Her. The horrid memories from the night of her death flooded back into her mind, escaping the deep darkness Zoe had sealed them in many months before.

"You ruined everything...you ruined my **FUCKING** world..." as Zoe screamed, she tore away at every inch of Lee's body that she could, "...you ruined my **FUCKING** hopes and dreams..." blood spurted and splattered all around, covering Zoe even more; she were drenched head-to-toe in the scarlet liquid in a matter of minutes, "...you ruined...no...you TOOK my **FUCKING** LIFE!"

Zoe stabbed away at his face, torso, legs, arms...any limb that was in reach. Many minutes had passed before she had finished. With her last ounce of hate, yshe carved the final numbers into what was left of Lee's face.

"_1000_..."

A cloud of ebony smoke devoured Lee, and she literally jumped back. It lingered there, nothing visible behind its thick, hazy form. Curiosity starting to get the best of her, Zoe took a small step forward. But, as soon as she did so, the smoke swirled and dispersed, revealing a familiar cloaked figure towering above Lee's corpse.

"It is done..." Zoe whispered.

"Yes...yes it is. I must say, I doubted you for a moment, Zoe. I convinced myself that you had given up and that I was going to have to drag you back to Hell...but no. You've accomplished my task...the Devil's task. Wonderful work. Now, as promised, I give you your life back..." he said morbidly.

He held his shadowy hand out and a glowing red orb materialized in his palm. He faded slowly and then appeared again right in front of her. He released the orb and it seemed to radiate a brighter light as it hovered right up to Zoe's face. Then, the orb shattered like glass, and the bright light that was held inside of it flooded her eyes and illuminated the rest of the room. She suddenly couldn't breathe...She gasped for air and sucked in the light. Her throat then seemed to be on fire.

Zoe began to cough, holding her throat as she hunched over, almost collapsing to the floor. She began to regain composure and began to breathe better just as she saw Satan fading into the shadows around the room, another bright orb in his hand.

"You've just taken in your first breath of new life. If I were you, I'd go take what is rightfully mine," he said, his voice tapering away into the darkness.

"What...?" Zoe asked hoarsely.

"Go back to where it all began...back to the place you once lived...back to where your memories lie in rest...back to _him_."

Then, the voice was gone completely. Satan was gone...everything was gone. Even Lee's dead body.

But Zoe understood the hint she had been given.

"Back...home," Zoe whispered, and then took off out of the building with a smile on her face.

Completely covered in blood, her shoulder wounded, and horrid memories still lingering in her careless mind, she ran.

And ran.

And ran.

She felt...happy. She soared down empty streets, laughing hysterically...as if she were unseen to the mortal eye. As if she were...invincible. No one could touch her...mentally or physically. But, most importantly to Zoe...no one could stop her now.

If someone just could've just seen the smile on her face...it would've scarred them for life. It was the single most twisted and daunting smile ever to be seen before. But she didn't care who saw her anymore. She only wanted to find Rei; life had no other purpose to her besides that.

After what felt like an eternity of running through the barren streets and sidewalks, she stopped. She gazed around the neighborhood she once lived in...seeing the mundane-looking houses and sidewalks and scenery that she once took for granted. But now...it was all so very important. With a dazed stare she looked around, her eyes falling upon a large, white house.

"_There...there...there...go there..._" something in her mind whispered to her.

The words echoed and repeated until she started for the house. An uncertain feeling washed over her as she strode right up to the door and placed her hand on the doorknob. Absentmindedly, she threw the door open. her eyes locked on the heart-wrenching sight just a couple of feet away from her, viewed through the open bathroom door. Rei...and another woman...a woman Zoe didn't recognize...embracing one another. It was like her heart--the heart she went to Hell and back and then through Hell on Earth to get--was ripped from her chest, tossed onto the ground, and stomped on mercilessly while she watched the scene play out before her flaming eyes.

Zoe's emotions exploded. And then her voice rang out in a murderous rage...

"Get your fucking hands off of him!"

Emily let go of Rei, her eyes wide with pure horror. Rei simply stared onward at Zoe with tired, sad eyes, as if he were in a trance.

Zoe, on the other hand, had a look of anger on her face that was bluntly terrifying.

"How...how can you be here?!" Emily screamed. "You're dead!"

"Not anymore," Zoe said in the lowest, most eerie tone she could. "...But you will be soon."

Zoe started walking slowly, menacingly towards Emily, who stood, trembling violently, in the bathroom doorway. As she advanced on her, she began to panic. Emily looked around, searching for an object that she could use to defend herself. Her eyes fell upon a pair of cutting scissors resting on the bathroom sink. She grabbed them quickly and held them in her hand with the sharp end facing towards Zoe. Zoe stopped moving.

And, yet again, an odd, scary smile appeared on her face.

"What...are you going to stab me?" Zoe asked, sounding like she were about to burst out into laughter. "You can't hurt me anymore...you've hurt me all you could nine years ago."

"Come any closer and you'll find that I _can_ and _will_ hurt you..." Emily threatened.

Zoe chuckled and looked down at her feet.

"It's marvelous how much you change when you die and come back. You get a bit...sadistic..."

As Zoe spoke, she started walking toward Emily again. Her pace quickened and she were right in front of her in seconds.

"Get the hell away from me!" she screamed, forcing the scissors down into Zoe's shoulder.

Then, she watched, waiting for Zoe's reaction.

Zoe stared dully at the scissors that were drove deep into her flesh. More blood covered her shoulder, which, along with the rest of her body, was already coated in blood. Sighing heavily, Zoe grasped the scissors handle, and tugged on it hard. The blades didn't budge. She pulled again, harder this time, yet the blades still stayed put in her shoulder. Now frustrated, Zoe pulled with all her strength and the scissors came out. Her intense eyes examined the scissor blades and the crimson substance that stained them. And then, grinning, Zoe licked away some of the blood.

Emily had been staring at her the whole time, motionless. When she realized Zoe's attention was back on Emily, Emily got ready to run, but her arm shot out and grasped hers before she could. Zoe stepped back, pulling her roughly out of the bathroom.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Emily? Anything at all?" Zoe asked softly.

Emily's expression twisted into one of hate and malice.

"Killing me just adds one more piece of evidence to this mystery. You won't get away with this," she growled.

"Then I won't kill you. I'll just...hide you so no one will find you."

"Even then you wouldn't keep me from exposing you! You'd have to cut out my tongue to keep me from talking!" Emily shouted, sounding so very determined.

"That's actually quite funny...remember Lee? Our good little friend Lee? Well, I met up with him today and there was a whole conversation about cutting out tongues. Of course, I didn't cut his out, because I killed him...but if I'm not going to kill you, then why the hell not? I _do_ have a pair of scissors in my hand right now, after all," Zoe said sadistically.

Emily started struggling against Zoe's grip, but she held firmly onto her.

Rei, seeming to have been long forgotten during the whole confrontation, was staring silently at the gruesome scene that played out before him. He watched as Emily struggled and shrieked as Zoe did what she said she'd do: Zoe used the scissors and cut out Emily's tongue. All of Emily's shrieks were silent then, reduced to dull moans of pain.

Zoe watched as she tried screaming, tears streaming from her eyes and blood pouring from her mouth. Zoe looked around, spotting an open door to the far left of the room that led down to the basement. Zoe dragged Emily over to it and held her in front of her. Both of them stared down at the stair steps that disappeared into the empty darkness below.

"Now...if you don't break your legs falling down the stairs, you can climb back up and go to the police, who are already hot on my tail, and try vainly to tell them what happened...it's rather hard to talk without a tongue now, isn't it?"

Emily sobbed mutely, her knees shaking. Zoes expression went blank for a moment as she stared at her. She had given up getting away from her now and was just standing there...motionless.

"This never would've had to happen if you would've just left me and Rei alone. You getting Lee in on it didn't help either...you killed me, Emily...you killed me," Zoe whispered.

And with that, Zoe pushed her. She went tumbling down the stairs, soft, almost unheard wails echoing up to Zoe. She slammed the door shut and walked back into the center of the living room. Zoe stared at the T.V. screen for a moment.

"Units have been dispatched and are currently searching every street and house we can. This murderer can't escape from us n--"

Zoe turned the T.V. off before the police chief could say anything else. Sighing, Zoe brushed some of her bloody hair out of her even bloodier face. Finding that all the commotion had gotten her sweaty and hot, Zoe took off her heavy coat, leaving her in a black t-shirt.

Zoe went back and threw the coat down in the basement...and that was when she remembered Rei.

Zoe looked into the bathroom and saw him there, still sitting on the bathroom floor. He didn't look like he was in a trance anymore, though. He looked like he had finally come to his senses. His hands were covering his face and he was shaking his head.

Taking a deep breath, Zoe slowly walked into the bathroom and knelt down in front of Rei. Zoe started to reach out for him...

...but his hand suddenly shot out and slapped hers away. A saddened expression fell over Zoe's face.

"Rei..."

"No. Go away...go away...you're not real..." he mumbled to himself. Then, he looked up, his face soaked with tears and even more falling from his sad eyes. "Please...just tell me that you're not real!"

Zoe frowned, tears slowly building up in her eyes as she spoke slowly, "I am real...I'm realer than I've ever been before--"

Rei cut her off with a loud scream, "Bullshit! You died, damn it! I watched you die in my fucking arms! After I took you to the hospital, they even told me you were **dead**! SO WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE RIGHT NOW?!"

Zoe were silent then. She lowered her head and gazed down at the tile flooring. But Rei wanted an answer from Zoe. He placed his hands on either side of her face and lifted her head so she were looking back at him.

"Give me an answer!"

"I went to Hell and back, that's why I'm here right now! I made a deal with the Devil himself to reap the souls of 1000 evil men for him in exchange for my life back! In exchange for _you_. And I almost gave up when you said your final goodbye to me at the cemetery...but I still murdered people to get back to you!" Zoe screamed.

Rei stared vacantly at Zoe for a moment, before his eyes trailed over to her scarred arm.

"Why do you cause yourself so much pain for me? You nearly killed yourself nine years ago, you took a bullet for me, and now you've killed 1000 people just to reunite with me. Why...?" he asked Zoe softly, almost timidly.

"Because..." Zoe began, reaching into the pocket on her pants. Zoe pulled out her engagement ring and her wedding ring, staring at them tiredly. "I wasn't lying the night I died. I fucking love you and I always will. Now...if you still want me to leave...if you still want this memory of me to vanish...I will."

The tears Zoe had been holding back broke free and made a trail down her face. Rei was once again crying silently...when he grabbed Zoe and pulled her into a tight embrace.

For a solid, bliss moment, Zoe felt completely alive again. Being held in his arms made Zoe feel as though she had never died.

"I love you so much. I don't want to lose you again." Rei whispering shakily into her ear.

"I don't want to lose you either," Zoe whispered back.

But, that moment of happiness was short-lived when Zoe realized she were still being followed close by the police. Zoe pulled away from Rei.

"I can't stay here," Zoe said seriously. "The police would find me too easily. I have to leave Moscow completely."

"Where would you go...?" Rei asked, wiping the tears from his eyes and face.

"I...I don't know. Somewhere far away from here...maybe Siberia." Zoe said.

"Siberia? That would be one hell of a drive..." Rei muttered.

Then, Zoe asked him bluntly and abruptly, "Would you come with me?"

Rei looked a bit taken back by her question.

"Zoe...I can't...I have a team now...I..." he stumbled over words, as if he was wrestling with his decision.

He looked Zoe right in her eyes with a sincere look on his face, though it was also a sad one. Zoe could hear the faint wail of police sirens in the distance. The sound made her heart beat quicken. Zoe stood and offered her hand to Rei.

Then she asked, panic evident in her voice, "Rei...will you please come with me?"


	5. Rei's first murder

Zoe stared into Rei's eyes, hand outstretched to him, waiting for an answer.

He gazed back at Her, a helpless look on his face as he argued with himself mutely. An eternity seemed to pass by...before he grabbed Zoe's hand.

Words need not be spoken then, for that simple action was answer enough to her.

A hurried smile spread quickly across her lips before she pulled him to his feet.

"We have to go now," Zoe announced, rushing over to the front door.

"Wait, Zoe. Before we go...I _really_ think you should take a shower and change clothes." Rei said.

Zoe looked down at her clothes and nodded, realizing that she were still covered head-to-toe in blood, and that she smellt _horrible_.

So she quickly darted into Emily's bedroom, found some suitable clothing, rushed into the bathroom and took a very quick shower. Zoe changed into the black t-shirt and jeans that she had taken from Emily's room and then sprinted for the front door.

Rei followed close behind as she ran outside and stopped at the edge of the lawn.

"Wait...what are we going to do? Walk...?" Zoe asked sarcastically.

"No. My car is over here." Rei said, pointing to his car in the driveway.

The two of them got into it hastily, the wail of police sirens getting nearer as the moments passed. Rei started the car up and pulled out of the driveway, and then sped off down the road.

Zoe stared out the window as Emily's house disappeared from view. Rei was silent as he drove. The silence pressed and pressed until Zoe were unable to stand it any longer.

"You probably feel awkward, right?" Zoe asked. "Sitting next to an undead mass murderer and all."

Rei sighed softly.

"Of course it's a little awkward. I'm still vainly trying to grasp the concept that you've risen from the dead, killed 1000 people, and then just show up saying that you're alive again!" Rei said.

"I am alive again. Alive enough, at least." Zoe muttered.

"God, why am I doing this? I'm running off with a wanted murderer...I'm going to get myself killed. This is by far the stupidest thing I've ever done." Rei murmured to himself.

Zoe frowned.

"What the hell is your problem...?" Zoe asked softly.

"Zoe...I'm sorry if I'm sounding like a prick right now. I just have too many things on my mind right now. It's stressful." Rei sighed.

"And I'm sorry if you feel like you're being forced to come with me."

Rei didn't reply to that. He stayed quiet. And oh how Zoe hated the silence and how loud it seemed to be.

But that was all there was as she drifted off into a less-than-pleasant slumber...

_Silence_.

For 3 days Zoe and Rei drove non-stop, only pausing for gas when they needed it. There was little to no talking between the two of them in those 3 excruciating days. And the days of silence were starting to take their toll on Zoe.

From listening to the radio, Zoe learned that she were wanted _everywhere_. She were slowly losing faith that she'd escape from the cops, and without Rei reassuring her that it'd all be okay, Zoe started letting fear and paranoia consume her.

Zoe wanted desperately to say something to Rei, who looked like he was starting to regret coming with her, but words would always get caught in her throat.

So, since chatting with Rei wasn't an option, she spent every minute of those 3 days staring out the car door window. She watched the landscape change from huge, towering buildings and bustling cities, to wide open plains, to mountains, and then to desert area. The silence was finally too much for her to handle as she passed a sign telling them that they were entering Tokyo.

"Damn it, I can't take this anymore! Stop the car." Zoe shouted, finally snapping.

Rei abruptly stopped on the side of the road.

"Why won't you talk to me?" Zoe asked.

"I could ask the same to you." Rei replied calmly.

"I'm _afraid_ to talk to you, because I've convinced myself that you regret coming with me!"

"Regret? Of course I regret it! I'm basically on a suicide mission to get to Russia! Why the hell do you think we'll be any safer in Russia than we were in Japan?" Rei exclaimed.

"I don't know! It was a quick decision! And if you regret this all so much, why'd you even come with me?" Zoe yelled.

"Because you fucking asked me to! And, despite the fact that you being back from the dead is a little hard to grasp and also terrifying, I still love you and didn't want to see you go off on your own," he explained, sounding tired and frustrated.

"Why can't you forget the fact that I died and accept the fact that I came back?" Zoe whispered, the anger in her tone having been replaced by despair.

"I don't know why I can't, Zoe. Back at Emily's house, I was so happy that you were back. I was willing to ride on to the end with you...but now I'm just a little freaked out. I'm questioning why this is all happening." Rei replied solemnly.

Zoe let his words sink in a bit before she spoke again.

"If you're not willing to come with me anymore, then I'll get out of the car right now and you can drive off back home. I will only ask this one more time, Rei...do you want me to leave?" Zoe asked.

And, again, she received no answer from Rei. She took his silence as a "yes".

Zoe opened the car door and started to get out, but a sudden firm grasp on her hand stopped her.

"I have mixed emotions about all of this...but I'm still willing to run off with you. I don't want you to leave. I've just been trying to sort all these fucking emotions out." Rei muttered to Zoe, his tone soft and sincere.

Zoe remained motionless for a moment, before she slowly shut the car door. She didn't feel like talking anymore. Emotions of all sorts were running high and it was starting to become too much for her to even want to handle. Her vision was once again fixated on the scenery outside as Rei started the car back up and once again began driving down the road. And the two of them were left in an awkward silence. There were so many things that she meant to say, but couldn't in that moment of argument. And the feeling of something being left unsaid only added to the stress and frustration she were feeling.

...But as the two of them drove, she noticed, with a small, hopeful smile, that Rei had yet to let go of her hand.

Only mere hours had passed since the little outburst between Zoe and Rei. Zoe stared outside the car door window once again, this time up at the desert sky, which was currently painted in the colors of the dusk. The sun was slowly fading below the empty horizons that the two had been driving towards for days on end; the horizon that just seemed to grow further and further out of reach as each minute ticked away.

Zoe had been lost in the simple beauty of her surroundings, when she were pulled back to attention by the oh-so familiar sound of police sirens and the sight of flashing lights. Zoe looked into the rear view mirror and saw the police car following close behind.

"Oh shit..." Zoe said aloud, fear flowing through her veins. "Why the hell is he pulling us over?"

Rei looked fearful as well as he shrugged and pulled the car over to the side of the barren road. The police car stopped behind Rei's and the tall male officer got out.

"Just stay calm, Zoe. It'll be alright." Rei whispered to her just before the officer appeared by the car door window on Rei's side.

"License and registration please," the officer said simply.

The officer was a tall, fit man. He had no hair and dark-lensed sunglasses covered his eyes.

Rei didn't hesitate to give the officer what he asked for.

"Rei Kon, huh? Aren't you that beyblader in the Bladbreakers?" the officer asked.

Rei nodded his head.

"I thought so. Well, you're probably wondering why I pulled you over, right?" he asked, receiving another nod from Rei. "You were swerving all over the road. I suspected you to be driving under the influence."

...And then Zoe made a bad mistake.

"Bullshit..." Zoe muttered.

And the cop heard her loud and clear.

"Excuse me, little missy? What did you just say?" the cop asked, taking out his flashlight and shining it directly into her eyes.

Zoe turned away from the light as it filled her vision.

'_Smooth move, Zoe. You just dug your own grave and fell right into it..._' Zoe thought to herself.

The cop was quiet. He seemed to be studying her.

"Ma'am, would you please step out of the car," he asked solemnly.

Zoe started to mentally kick herself, but calmly obeyed. She knew that if you made even one more mistake, she'd be severely paying for it.

So, she got out of the car and stood completely motionless as the officer came around the side of the car and stopped in front of her. He once again stood in silence, examining her. Then, after a while, he took his sunglasses over and stared her right in the eye.

"You stay right there," he said coolly, walking over to his car.

He opened the door and took out a sheet of paper, looking it over, before he put it down and came back over to her.

Zoe's terror level had been rising slowly, and it hit its peak as the cop pulled out some handcuffs, pushed her on the hood of the car and cuffed her hands behind her back.

"You are under arrest for--" he began.

Zoe heard powerful _thump_ and suddenly the cop dropped to the ground. She spun around just in time to see him try to get up, holding an area of his head where he had been hit with something, and Rei grabbing the officer's gun from his holster.

Zoe uttered a low, soft gasp as Rei fired three bullets into the cop's head. The officer went limp, three bullets wounds on his head, blood flowing freely from them.

Following the moment of loud commotion was a silence echoing with death. Zoe stared down at the dead policeman, and then up at Rei. His eyes were wide and he was trembling so badly that he almost collapsed to the ground. His face was ashen and little specs of blood stained it.

Rei dropped the gun, stumbled back, and slowly sank down onto the cracked ground.

Zoe, still handcuffed, leaned back against the car, mouth open as if you were going to say something. But all the jumbled words were caught in herr throat. Zoe couldn't comprehend the fact that Rei had just shot and killed someone. Killing was nothing new to her, of course, but just the fact that it was Rei who had killed someone...

The only thing Zoe were thankful for was that the road had no other cars driving on it.

The silence loomed for so very long, Rei sitting motionless, a horrified look on his face for the whole time, until he finally stood and staggered over to the deceased cop's body. He grabbed the keys to the handcuffs and walked over to Zoe. He took the cuffs off of her and then hurried around the other side of the car and got in.

It took Zoe a moment to shake the shock off, but once she had, she went over a got the gun. For one, if any other policemen found it, Rei's fingerprints were all over it, and besides...she knew she'd be needing it later.

Zoe tucked the gun in the side of her pants, pulled her shirt down over it, and slowly got into the car.

"Rei...what just happened...?" Zoe asked softly.

"I don't know what came over me..." he replied, his voice hoarse and shaky. "I...I realized that the cop knew about you...I got out of the car and hit him in the head with a rock and then..."

His voice trailed off. Zoe closed her eyes and sighed.

"Killing for the first time is terrifying...I should know." Zoe muttered.

"I'm not jittery like this because killing that man scared me," Rei said quickly. "I'm scared because it actually felt _good_ when I pulled the trigger on that gun."

And with that, Rei started up the car and started to speed off down the road.

Yet again, the two of them drove in utter silence...

...But the silence, as always, didn't last for long.

Rei pulled the car over again, and turned to face her, looking ill.

"Zoe, I think I'm going to be sick," he said to her.

And then, without another word, he got out of the car and stumbled off the road.

Zoe got out as well and hurried over to him, rubbing his back and comforting him the best she could as he vomited. After a long while, he was done. He could barely walk towards the car.

"Rei, I'll drive. You're in no condition right now to be behind the wheel." Zoe said, helping him get into the passenger's side of the car.

Afterward, Zoe got into the driver's seat and started the car up. As she drove, she'd take short glances at Rei. He looked terrible, and it was starting to scare her. She didn't think that he had any illness; Zoe just assumed that all the stress, anxiety, fear, and so on were starting to take their toll on him.

"I'm just like you now..." Rei murmured. "I'm just like you...a mindless killer."

Zoe frowned, though it went unnoticed.

"Tell me something...when you killed all those men...did you ever get happiness from it?" he asked dully.

"The first couple of murders...yes. I did feel happiness when I killed them. It felt good to take all my pain out on someone else. But then, after killing so many, the happiness turned into grief as I realized that I was taking someone away from a family, a friend, a lover...it started to worsen. But after even more murders, everything went numb. I felt nothing anymore. No remorse, no happiness, no sadness. I felt nothing...and I still don't." Zoe explained calmly.

"It makes me so sick to my stomach to know that I felt so amazingly happy when I killed that cop. But...it also makes me feel good at the same time. I'm so fucking confused..." Rei said, his voice cracking.

Zoe looked over at Rei again and saw that he was close to crying. And right then and there She knew that the whole entire "dead lover coming back to life and brining me on an escape trip" thing had scarred him. Zoe knew that he'd never smile the same again, and that behind his eyes, now, were terrifying images.

He'd never be the same again, even if and when they escaped to safety. But what hurt more than knowing all of this was knowing that it was _her_ that caused it all. _Zoe_ were the reason his smiles would forever be broken, _She_ were the reason he was scarred. Zoe died inside, once again, as she realized it was all _her_ fault.

Zoe regretted ever asking Rei to come with her on this escape mission that was heading downhill fast. Zoe regretted ever killing 1000 men to reunite with him...

Zoe were even starting to regret _everything_ that had ever involved her and Rei.


End file.
